"But at least tell me you loved me.""Just tell me that part was real."William looked at her as though she were an idiot."Why is this so difficult for you to understand?"His voice was ice cold."I never loved you."Every word felt like a knife."You were useful.""That's all."His gaze became even colder."And now you're barely useful."He pointed at her."Your only remaining value is serving as bait to drag your father out of that turtle shell he calls a palace.""You despicable animal!"Freya screamed.The pain and betrayal she had been holding back finally exploded."You made me believe you loved me!""You made me turn against my own family!""You bastard!"William merely laughed."Ungrateful."The word dripped with contempt."That's what you are."His gaze sharpened."Argus treated you better than most fathers would."Freya froze.William continued mercilessly."He even ignored my advice to send you away after you were born."Freya's pupils contracted.William shrugged."And ye

"Why?""Because I checked, and South Jota Village isn't far from Russ Palace. If something unusual happens, William's people can return quickly."He continued."If we engage them at Jota Village, we'll keep their attention focused on us. That will give you a much better opportunity to rescue Freya."Raven stared at him.He had already thought through every detail.A wave of relief washed over her, easing some of the tension that had been weighing on her shoulders."Thank you."Her voice trembled with genuine gratitude."Please keep my father safe."Samuel nodded."We'll do what we can."Without wasting another second, Raven turned and hurried toward Kael and Mia.Meanwhile, Samuel, Nina, and Carson continued forward.Nina glanced at him."If we're already getting involved, why not attack them directly and deal with all of them at once, instead of just engaging them and stalling for time?"Samuel shook his head."Because I don't intend to become deeply involved in this conflict. I'm al

Russ Palace shook violently.William frowned and immediately turned toward the direction of the secret hall.The tremor spread throughout the entire palace, rattling tables and causing glasses to shake. Customers dining inside Russ Palace felt the disturbance and looked around in confusion."What's happening?""Is that an earthquake?"Without wasting another second, William dashed inside.He entered a hidden passage that led directly to the hall. None of the servants attempted to stop him. They were all on the same side and knew exactly who he was.His figure blurred through the corridor.Just as he was about to reach the secret hall, a figure suddenly appeared before him.William immediately came to a halt.The newcomer looked exactly like a fox, except she stood upright like a human and wore a suit of armor. A trident rested in her hand while dense beastly energy rolled off her body in powerful waves.William narrowed his eyes."Who are you? What are you doing here?"A smile appeare

Qi surged from his body as three qi spears condensed before him.Whoosh!The qi spears shot forward like lightning.The Archmagus hastily erected a barrier.Boom! Boom! Boom!The barrier trembled violently under the impacts.Before the Archmagus could recover, Argus was already upon him.His fist slammed into the barrier, sending countless cracks racing across its surface.Crack!The barrier shattered.The Archmagus retreated rapidly, launching spell after spell in a desperate attempt to create some distance.Fireballs, wind blades, and mana bolts rained toward Argus.Argus charged through them head-on.Explosions erupted around him, flames and dust swallowing his figure, yet his momentum never faltered.He burst through the barrage in an instant and threw a punch.The Archmagus hurriedly crossed his arms to block.Bang!The impact sent him skidding backward across the ground.In a matter of seconds, Argus had completely seized control of the battle.The Archmagus was forced onto the

"Why did you get involved in this whole thing when it seemed like you didn't want to in the first place?" Nina asked curiously as she sat beside Samuel on the sofa. She gently placed a hand on his head, lovingly running her fingers through his hair."Because I don't want to owe favors. The thousand-year fire seed is far more important than even Nymera. At least to me. To them, it's useless. After I turn it into a pill and consume it, I won't need to worry about the Black Veil leader anymore."I might even use part of it to make pills that will help all four of you break through soon. Its value is immense, so I'm doing this for the reward." He smiled."I see now why you didn't care about the extra rewards they promised." Carson nodded in understanding."Yes. This fire seed is extremely rare. Even two Nymeras wouldn't be worth it to me. Either way, I'll still accept their generosity," Samuel said.A servant girl walked inside."My Lord, Princess Raven and Princess Freya are here to see